REPORTS TO: Chief Financial Officer
POSITION: Full Time, Exempt

Sequoyah School, a progressive, K-12 independent school of 440 students in Pasadena, CA, seeks an experienced, energetic, and collaborative Director of Facilities & Operations. Reporting to the school’s Chief Financial Officer and working closely with its administration and faculty, the Director supervises a team of 9 employees who comprise the school’s Operations Team. 

The Department is responsible for the maintenance and safety of three different sites: the Main Campus (535 South Pasadena Avenue) of more than 2.5 acres, which houses our K-8 student body and faculty of approximately 300; the High School, of 210 students and faculty, which Sequoyah shares with, and leases from, the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church (301 North Orange Grove Blvd), just over a mile from the K-8; and a recently purchased one-acre property across Pasadena Avenue from the Main Campus (500 South Pasadena Avenue) which houses administrative offices, including Business, Admissions, Communications, Development, Technology, Athletics, Field Studies, and Operations itself. 

The school has, since its founding in 1958, placed the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, at the center of its culture; as such, it seeks in its hiring practices to find candidates who embrace these values. Similarly, the school takes its environmental stewardship commitments very seriously and seeks engaged leadership and support from the new Director of Facilities & Operations to help it become a model of sustainability.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Sequoyah School is at an extraordinary point in its history and an experienced, enterprising Director of Facilities & Operations will be a key leader, proponent, and catalyst in its forward momentum. With a new Head of School beginning her tenure in 2023-2024; the newly purchased property on Pasadena Avenue; and funds raised in preparation for the imminent opportunity to purchase the Main Campus once it is released by Caltrans, Sequoyah’s near-term evolution will include master planning, renovations, new construction, and other exciting projects involving collaborative, creative, and strategic thinking and implementation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise and support the professional growth of the team

• Ensure continuity of facility operations which comprises buildings, grounds, maintenance, transportation, environmental health, security and custodial

• Establish policies, systems and procedures that are harmonious with school culture to ensure effective operations, improved risk management and enhanced operational efficiency

• Ensure that departmental staffing levels and budgets including a multi-year capital expenditure plan are sufficient to meet the operational needs of the school

• Communicate regularly and effectively with all constituents to ensure that teaching, learning and all other aspects of the school’s program, as well as scheduled events, are being addressed from both a facilities and operations standpoint

• For smaller projects, negotiate time and materials contracts with qualified vendors; for capital projects, prepare request for proposals/information, obtain competitive bids, and, with the CFO, select vendors

• Act as the school’s liaison with key community partners, including the Pasadena Police and Fire Departments, city and state building and safety officials, etc.

• Monitor and evaluate utility services, including water, electricity, solar energy, and storm drainage for all sites

• Oversee all contractual services related to school buildings and grounds

• Serve as a member of and key resource to the Board’s Facilities Committee

• Oversee the safety, maintenance and scheduling of the school’s transportation

• Oversee the inventory and purchase of equipment, materials, parts, and contract and professional services, including supplies for housekeeping, buildings, grounds and maintenance areas, including vehicles

• Lead safety and emergency operations of the school including required regular drills (e.g., earthquake, fire, shelter-in-place, etc.)

• Supervise the work of the school’s (contract) security personnel

• Interpret and direct the school’s facilities safety program to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including OSHA, EPA, etc.; develop faculty and staff training programs to ensure that the school remains in compliance with the same

• Share on-call duties in the event of a facilities-related emergency

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• A BA/BS or equivalent 

• Multi-year experience in facilities/operations

• Demonstrated experience in project management and managing multiple sites with many stakeholders

• Experience leading a team, including hiring, supervising, evaluating, mentoring, training, and overseeing professional development

• Comfort with technology; familiarity with collaborative project management tools

• The ability and inclination to lead by example

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to listen and to have difficult conversations

• Creative problem-solving capacity with a can-do attitude; accustomed to getting “lots done with a little”

• Demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Experience working in an independent school or other educational setting

• Fluency in Spanish

• Experience with master planning

• Applicable certifications (e.g., HVAC, Facilities Management Professional (FMP), etc.)   

COMPENSATION

Sequoyah offers competitive salary and benefits, including a 403b retirement program, vacation, holiday pay, sick leave, group medical/dental/vision insurance, Daycare (if the employee’s child is enrolled at Sequoyah).

PROJECTED START DATE: July, 2023

TO APPLY 

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to recruitment@sequoyahschool.org.